The present invention relates to a coaxial connector, especially, a right angle coaxial connector.
A coaxial connector called a right angle coaxial connector is fitted into a corresponding connector in a direction perpendicular to a direction that a coaxial cable extends, and has been widely used for connecting a circuit board.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-43939, a conventional right angle coaxial connector includes an outer conductor having a cylindrical portion to be connected to an external terminal of a corresponding connector, and a lid portion integrated with the cylindrical portion for covering an upper portion of the cylindrical portion. In forming the outer conductor, a metal plate is first press-molded to form the cylindrical portion, and then the metal plate is bent to form the lid portion. The cylindrical portion is connected to the lid portion at a part of a periphery thereof opposite to a side where a cable extends. The lid portion extends over a covering portion of the cable, and pressingly holds the cable at a holding portion.
The cylindrical portion is provided with an annular engaging projection on an inner surface thereof. A plurality of slits extends along an axial direction for dividing the annular engaging projection into a plurality of contacting portions. Accordingly, the annular engaging projection is able to elastically deform in a radial direction to easily engage the corresponding connector.
In the coaxial connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-43939, each of the contacting portions formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical portion has an engaging projection having a same height in the radial direction. Among the contacting portions forming the cylindrical portion, one contacting portion located at a position where the cable extends is provided with a cut at a side of the lid portion for providing a space through which the cable extends. Accordingly, the one contacting portion has rigidity lower than that of other contacting portions. In other words, the one contacting portion bends more easily than the others do when an external force is applied. In general, when a metal plate is bent and formed in a cylindrical shape to form the cylindrical portion, end portions of the metal plate meet at the one contacting portion located at a position where the cable extends. This structure also contributes to the lower rigidity of the one contacting portion.
In the right angle coaxial connector, especially in a small size connector, when an external force is applied to the cable, the coaxial connector receives a pulling force with an angle relative to an axial line. In this case, the one contacting portion located at a position where the cable extends tends to deform in the radial direction easily as compared with the others, thereby inadvertently disconnecting the coaxial connector.
Recently, a size of electronic device has been greatly reduced, and a size of electronic part has been required to be small in a thickness direction of a circuit board. In this trend, a right angle coaxial connector tends to have a cylindrical portion with a shorter length in a direction that the connector is connected. Accordingly, such a connector is disconnected more easily when an external force is applied to a cable.